Recently over at reddit a list of photos appeared showing modern-day celebrities photoshopped onto classic paintings. The list appeared over at Imgur, but without any annotation. Various redditors chimed in and were able to provide a key, but I found these interesting enough that I thought I would present the list here, with some supplementary information which came to mind as I discussed the images with my wife. I have tried, wherever possible, to find the original painting, and provide links to the subjects depicted and the artists of the original works.
These photoshopped versions are found at worth1000.com, and a quick search over there will turn up the creators of these clever derivative images, as well as many other similar efforts.
The original painting, Philip the Good. This is a copy of an original which is thought to be lost, by Rogier van der Weden. This particular painting for Picard seems poignantly apt, in my opinion. Picard’s character was both written and interpreted as a flawed (as are we all) individual doing his utmost to make a positive difference in the universe.
For obvious reasons, this is an image heavy post; much more can be seen after the jump.
Tsar Vladimir Putin
The original is a painting of Carlo Andrea Pozzo di Borgo, a Corsican politician who became a Russian diplomat. The portrait is by Karl Pavlovic Bryullov (Карл Павлович Брюллов).
François-Xavier Fabre‘s portrait of Edward Fox Fitzgerald (1794-1863), the son of Lord Edward Fitzgerald and his wife Pamela.
Sir Brian Tuke by Hans Holbein
Albrecht Dürer – Portrait of Jakob Muffel
Michael Jordan - The man broke my heart. During the NBA playoffs of 1998, the Utah Jazz had its best chance ever of taking home the title. The strength of the Bulls was almost shattered by the combination of Stockton and Malone, heading perhaps the Jazz’ strongest team. And on top of it, Jordan had a bad case of influenza, but he was not to be denied; he played like a god and Utah was defeated. It was a noble effort, but you can’t play divinity and win, as Gary Larson so expertly pointed out.
The Bone Player, by William Sydney Mount.
Susan Boyle. If you’ve never seen the video that shot her to stardom, it’s had over 140 million views – it’s worth it on a number of levels, not the least of which is watching Simon Cowell try to get his foot out of his mouth. Susan didn’t happen to take first place in that year’s competition, but she’s become a powerful, delightful singer.
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825), Portrait of Genevieve Jacqueline Pecoul, the painter’s mother-in-law, 1784.
Portrait of Alphonse Leroy by Jacques-Louis David, 1783 (see previous image). Leroy was a prominent French engraver.
Sylvester Stallone, macho star of “Rocky” and countless other action films.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Self-portrait. This is the same portrait seen below as the template for Jim Broadbent, below.
Sir Thomas Sean Connery. Looking at this portrait I would have sworn the original was a depiction of Henry VIII, but I was dead wrong.
Charles de Solier, Sieur de Morette (1534-35) by Hans Holbein the Younger. Born about 1480, the French ambassador Charles de Solier was posted in London from April 3 to July 26, 1534, during which time Holbein must have painted this portrait. The name of the subject was not indicated on the portrait and was forgotten over the centuries, and until the 19th century, even the name of the artist.
L’aurore (Dawn) – William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Bouguereau was a French traditionalist painter; ”in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.”
Michael Jackson. Not much explanation needed here.
Anton Raphael Mengs – Self Portrait.
Il Dolce Far Niente (The sweet doing nothing, or pleasant leisure) by William Holman Hunt. Hunt began to paint the picture using his then-fiancée Annie Miller and later retained her hair but replaced her face with that of his wife Fanny. For what it’s worth, the photoshop is about an order of magnitude more attractive than the original. Says the Old Wolf.
Rowan Atkinson. Mr. Bean’s face makes anything funny. Even the name on the list of traitorous Girondin deputies has been altered to “Mr. B.”
“The Death of Marat,” by Jacques-Louis David (see Susan Boyle above). This iconic picture depicts the death of French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat. The French text on the pedestal reads, “Being unable to corrupt me, they have assassinated me.”
Robert Duvall. Duvall has long been one of my favorite actors.
Albrecht Dürer - Portrait of Jakob Muffel (Also used for Robin Williams above)
Robert De Niro. “‘It’s all right, Captain. We always knew you were a whoopsie!”
Andrea Mantegna – Portrait of a Man
“A Young Beauty with Flowers in her Hair” by Albert Lynch
Tina Fey, well-known for her work on Saturday Night Live.
The photoshopped portrait is taken from a detail of this painting by Jean Auguste Dominic Ingres, entitled “Princess Albert de Broglie.”
Viggo Mortensen. Lord Aragorn, of course, but such a filmology this man has. One of the finest and most dedicated actors of our generation.
This one stumped me – Google Image Search and TinEye both failed to find an original match. If you find one, leave a comment and I’ll add it here.
Kevin Bacon. For what it’s worth, my Bacon number is 3. I spent a day in southern Utah hunting pot shards with Ricardo Montalbán in 1967. (Khaaaaaan!) Ricardo Montalbán and Bibi Besch appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Bibi Besch and Kevin Bacon appeared in Tremors.
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828).
Jack Nicholson. If ever there were a quintessential mocker, Nicholson would fill the bill.
Joseph Ducreux – “Self-portrait of the artist in the guise of a mocker.” Ducreux was a successful French portraitist at the court of Louis XVI of France who was able to resume his career after the French Revolution. He excelled at unusual facial expressions.
Orlando Bloom. Still the prettiest!
Rafaello Sanzio, better known as Raphael. “Portrait of a Man.”
Frederic Leighton, “Portrait of a Roman Lady”
Natalie Portman, who has come a long, long way since Queen Amidala. Her performance in “Black Swan” was stunning, among others.
“Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer.
“Rest,” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
Albrecht Dürer - Portrait of Jakob Muffel (See Robin Williams above)
Eva Gonzalès – “Portrait of a Woman in White”
Robert Campin – “Portrait of a Lady”
“Portrait of a Young Woman Painter” - Jean-Marc Nattier
Unable to find an original for this image. It looks familiar, but I’m not enough of an art student to know where to look.
“St. Catherine of Alexandria” – Raphael
Rembrandt - “Self Portrait in a Heavy Fur Cap”
“Portrait Presumed to be Clément Marot” – Corneille de Lyon. Marot, a French Renaissance poet, wrote “A une Damoyselle malade” (to a sick lady), which formed the basis for an astonishing work about translation, life, the universe, and everything written by Douglas Hofstadter entitled Le Ton Beau de Marot. As much as an ode to the intricacies of language, it was an homage to his wife Carol Ann Brush, who passed away suddenly of a vicious brain tumor.
“After the Ball” – Julius LeBlanc Stewart
Peter Paul Rubens – Chapeau de paille (The Straw Hat)
“Portrait of Anne Marie Louise Thélusson, Countess of Sorcy,” Jacques-Louis David
Sophie Gengembre Anderson – “Young Girl Fixing Her Hair.” Let it be known as a point of interest that “gengembre” is the French word for “ginger.”
Peter Paul Rubens - “Portrait of a Man”
Johnny Depp - It’s hard to look at that face without seeing Captain Jack Sparrow, but Depp’s work is wide and varied. He has played humorous and serious rôles both.
Portrait of Willem (Balthasar) Coymans by Dirck Hals
Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) – “Portrait of Peter Godfrey of Old Hall East Bergholt Suffolk”
Portrait of Francisco Goya by Vicente López y Portaña
Jim Broadbent. “I’ve lost my marbles!”
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Self-portrait. This is the same portrait seen above as the template for Sylvester Stallone.
Jennifer Garner, who does far more justice to this painting than the original subject.
Portrait of a woman, known as ‘The Gipsy girl’. Frans Hals.
“Portrait of a Young Woman” - Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
This image escapes me.
“Memories,” (1883) by Frederick Leighton
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, “Self Portrait as the Apostle Paul”
Hugh Grant
Writing this post has been very educational for me. I learned a lot about classical artists that I never knew before; may it also please you.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
